Free template · Updated October 18, 2026

Employee Equipment Agreement template

An employee equipment agreement records what company equipment an employee receives, how it must be cared for and used, how loss or damage is reported, and how and when it is returned.

An employee equipment agreement is a document in which an employee acknowledges receiving company property, such as a laptop, phone, tablet, vehicle, or tools, and agrees how to look after it, use it, and give it back. You need one whenever equipment goes home with an employee or a remote worker, because it is your record of what was issued and in what condition.

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1. Parties

This Employee Equipment Agreement (the "Agreement") is made on [DATE] between [EMPLOYER LEGAL NAME], of [EMPLOYER ADDRESS] (the "Company"), and [EMPLOYEE NAME], employed as [JOB TITLE] (the "Employee"), together the "Parties". This Agreement supplements the Employee's [EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT / OFFER LETTER / EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK] and does not change the terms of employment.

2. Equipment Issued

The Company issues the following equipment to the Employee (the "Equipment"): Item 1: [DESCRIPTION, MAKE, MODEL], serial number [SERIAL], asset tag [TAG], condition [NEW / GOOD / NOTED DEFECTS], accessories [CHARGER, CASE, etc.] Item 2: [DESCRIPTION, MAKE, MODEL], serial number [SERIAL], asset tag [TAG], condition [CONDITION], accessories [ACCESSORIES] Item 3: [DESCRIPTION, MAKE, MODEL], serial number [SERIAL], asset tag [TAG], condition [CONDITION], accessories [ACCESSORIES] Date issued: [DATE]. Delivered by [IN PERSON / COURIER, TRACKING NUMBER]. Photos of the Equipment at handover are attached as Exhibit A: [ATTACHMENT REFERENCE]. The Equipment remains the property of the Company at all times.

3. Care and Security

The Employee will take reasonable care of the Equipment, keep it secure, and protect it from loss, theft, and damage, including by not leaving it unattended in public places or in plain view in a vehicle. The Employee will keep the device locked with a password or passcode, keep the Company's security settings and encryption turned on, install updates when prompted, and not remove asset tags or serial numbers. The Employee will not attempt repairs or open the Equipment and will report any fault to [IT CONTACT, EMAIL] promptly.

4. Acceptable Use

The Equipment is provided for the Company's business. [PERSONAL USE IS NOT PERMITTED / LIMITED PERSONAL USE IS PERMITTED IF IT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH WORK OR BREACH COMPANY POLICY.] The Employee will not lend the Equipment to anyone else, will not install software that the Company has not approved, and will follow the Company's [ACCEPTABLE USE / IT SECURITY / CONFIDENTIALITY] policies, which are available at [LOCATION]. The Employee will not use the Equipment for anything unlawful.

5. Monitoring and Data

[IF APPLICABLE: The Company may monitor the use of the Equipment, including email, internet use, and files stored on it, by lawful means and for legitimate business purposes, as described in POLICY NAME. The Employee should not expect privacy in personal content stored on the Equipment.] Company data on the Equipment belongs to the Company and is confidential. The Employee will store work files in [APPROVED STORAGE] and will not copy Company data to personal devices or accounts. Where local law requires a separate written notice of electronic monitoring or an acknowledgment, the Company will provide it.

6. Loss, Theft, and Damage

The Employee will report any loss, theft, or damage to [IT OR HR CONTACT] within [24 HOURS] of discovering it, and will report a theft to the police and share the report number. The Company will repair or replace the Equipment as it decides. Normal wear and tear and accidental damage are expected in ordinary use. If the Company believes the Equipment was lost or damaged through the Employee's willful misconduct or gross negligence, the Parties will discuss it, and any request for the Employee to contribute to the cost will be made separately and only as permitted by applicable law. Nothing in this Agreement authorizes the Company to deduct any amount from the Employee's wages.

7. Expenses and Accessories

The Company will pay for or reimburse reasonable costs needed to use the Equipment for work, such as [REPLACEMENT CHARGERS, BUSINESS PHONE PLAN, SOFTWARE LICENSES], under its expense policy. [OPTIONAL: For employees who use a personal phone or internet connection for work, the Company will reimburse AMOUNT OR METHOD, as required by applicable law.]

8. Return of Equipment

The Employee will return all Equipment, accessories, and Company data, and will not wipe or reset devices unless IT asks, (a) when employment ends for any reason, within [NUMBER] business days of the last day of work; (b) when the Company asks, for upgrade, repair, or audit; or (c) when the Employee goes on a leave longer than [NUMBER] weeks, if the Company requests it. For remote employees, the Company will provide prepaid shipping and packaging, and the Equipment is considered returned when the courier records delivery to [RETURN ADDRESS]. The Parties will complete the return checklist in Section 9. The Company will not delay the Employee's final pay because Equipment has not yet been returned.

9. Return Checklist

Date returned: [DATE]. Method: [IN PERSON / COURIER, TRACKING NUMBER]. Item 1 returned: [YES / NO], condition [CONDITION] Item 2 returned: [YES / NO], condition [CONDITION] Item 3 returned: [YES / NO], condition [CONDITION] Passwords, device locks, and personal accounts removed: [YES / NO]. Notes: [NOTES]. Received by (Company): [NAME], Signature: ____________________, Date: [DATE]

10. General Terms

This Agreement is governed by the laws of [GOVERNING LAW JURISDICTION]. If any provision conflicts with applicable wage, privacy, or employment law, that law controls and the provision is applied only to the extent it allows. The Company may update the Equipment list in Section 2 by a signed addendum when equipment is added or replaced. The Parties agree that this Agreement may be signed electronically and in counterparts, each of which is an original and all of which together form one agreement.

11. Signatures

COMPANY: [EMPLOYER LEGAL NAME] Signature: ____________________ Name: [SIGNATORY NAME] Title: [TITLE] Date: [DATE] EMPLOYEE: [EMPLOYEE NAME] I confirm that I received the Equipment listed in Section 2 in the condition described. Signature: ____________________ Date: [DATE]

Our take: Our take: treat this as an inventory receipt with a few clear rules, not as a way to make employees pay for broken laptops. The most valuable part is the list of serial numbers and asset tags, signed on the day the equipment is handed over and again when it comes back. Be very careful with deductions. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, tools and similar items used for the employer's benefit are a business expense of the employer, and a deduction for damaged equipment cannot bring pay below the minimum wage or cut into required overtime. Many states go much further, banning or tightly limiting deductions for lost or broken equipment even with an employee's signature, and some require employers to reimburse work-related costs. So this template does not authorize any wage deduction; it leaves recovery to a separate, lawful process. Don't hold back a final paycheck while you wait for a laptop either, since states set their own deadlines for final pay. If you monitor company devices, say so plainly: New York, for example, requires employers that monitor employee email, phone, or internet use to give written notice on hiring and get the employee's acknowledgment. Pair this with your employment contract, an NDA for the data on the device, and a termination letter that lists the return steps.

When should you use a employee equipment agreement?

When issuing a laptop, phone, tablet, monitor, or other device to a new hire or remote employee
When employees take tools, instruments, vehicles, or specialist gear off-site
When you replace or add equipment and need an updated, signed inventory
When an employee leaves and you want a clear checklist of what must come back

How do you fill in this template?

List each item with make, model, serial number, asset tag, accessories, and condition, and take dated photos before handover.
Set your acceptable-use and monitoring rules in Sections 4 and 5, matching your written IT and privacy policies, and add any notice your state requires.
Leave Section 6 as written unless an employment lawyer in your state has approved different terms, and don't add a wage-deduction clause.
Fill in the return deadline and the return address, and arrange prepaid shipping for remote employees.
Upload the agreement to eSignSimple, save it as a reusable template for each new hire, and send it for e-signature with the employee signing first. Keep the signed copy with the employee's file and complete Section 9 when the equipment comes back.

How do you get it signed online?

Save it as Word or PDF. Paste the filled-in text into Word or Google Docs and keep it as a .docx file, or export it as a PDF. eSignSimple accepts both, plus DOC, ODT and RTF, up to 25 MB; Word files are converted to PDF on upload.
Upload and place the fields. Sign up with Google, upload the file and drag signature, initials, date and text fields onto the page for each signer. Set a signing order if one party must sign first.
Send it for signature. Each signer gets a private link and signs in the browser without creating an account. Automatic email reminders go out every three days (up to three) until everyone has signed.
Keep the signed copy. When the last person signs, everyone can download the final PDF with a certificate of completion, an audit trail and a SHA-256 fingerprint you can verify later.

Signing on your own device only? The guide to signing a PDF covers the free built-in options, and the security page explains how signed files are stored and verified.

This template is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by country and state; have a lawyer review contracts with high stakes.

Written by Buğra Sözeri, founder and editor, eSignSimple · Last reviewed October 18, 2026

Buğra builds eSignSimple and writes and maintains its guides. He researches each legal page against the official texts linked on it and updates pages when the law or the product changes. He is not a lawyer, and nothing here is legal advice. About eSignSimple

Frequently asked questions

Can an employer deduct the cost of a broken laptop from an employee's pay?

Often not, and never automatically. Under the federal FLSA, a deduction cannot bring pay below the minimum wage or cut into overtime, and many states ban or strictly limit deductions for lost or damaged equipment even with written consent. Get advice for your state before trying to recover any cost.

Can I hold an employee's final paycheck until they return equipment?

That is risky. States set their own deadlines for final wages, and missing them can lead to penalties. Pay on time and pursue the equipment separately, for example with a prepaid return label and a written reminder.

Do I need to tell employees that company devices are monitored?

It is good practice everywhere and required in some places. New York, for example, requires employers that monitor email, phone, or internet use to give written notice on hiring and get an acknowledgment. Check your own state's rules.

Can an employee equipment agreement be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures are generally valid for employment documents like this in the US under the ESIGN Act and UETA. eSignSimple keeps an audit trail of who signed and when, which is handy when you send equipment to remote hires.

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